K'Nex Lava Launch Coaster roller coaster set

The K'NEX Lava Launch Coaster is a roller coaster building set shaped like a volcano. Standing over 4 feet high, the Lava Launch Coaster includes 1,200 K'NEX pieces, over 20 feet of track, a roller coaster car, and a motorized car "blaster" that launches the car to the top of the track.

From the toy description:

Follow the color-coded instructions to build this exciting thrill ride step-by-step. Then switch the motorized blaster on, let it spool up, and watch in awe as the coaster car shoots up and out of the volcano. On the way down, the coaster car whips down, around and through the volcano with awesome speed. Instructions for a second thrilling coaster are available at knex.com.

Here's where you can get more info on the K'Nex Lava Launch Coaster

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Live-action skeet game with flying targets

Here's a nifty mechanical toy that launches targets up to 7 feet in the air. Once aloft, you use the gun's infrared beam to "break" the targets apart. Skeet shooting with a pistol? Sounds difficult in real-life, but I'm sure the game is a bit easier.

Here's where you can get the The Live Action Skeet Shooting Game.

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Book: The Boy Mechanic Makes 150+ Toys

The Boy Mechanic—Popular Mechanic Makes Toys is a follow up book to the original The Boy Mechanic: 200 Classic Things to Build. Both books are a collection DIY projects culled from early editions of Popular Mechanics Magazine. What an amazing magazine that once was! Designed to maintain a vintage feel, these projects are sure to inspire action and ingenuity. The book features more than 200 toys and game projects that require only basic tools to create.

Some of the projects in this book include:
• Toy donkey that nods and wags its tail
• Child's playhouse
• Miniature windmill
• Magic tricks, including the "X-Ray" cards and the mystery coin box
• Homebuilt canoe
• Diving tower
• Motors and engines

Some of the projects are pretty ambitious; it will help if you have experience reading blueprints and making things without complete step-by-step hand-holding. What the book lacks in detail, it makes up for in breadth and adventuresome spirit. This book is for adults as much -- maybe even more -- as it is for kids.

Here's where you can get The Boy Mechanic Makes Toys: 159 Games, Toys, Tricks, and Other Amusements.

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Kinetic Flower by James Christopher Schaffroth

James Christopher Schaffroth is an industrial design student at Rhode Island School of Design with a passion for kinetics. He has made a number of pieces, most constructed of simple materials: steel welding rod, brass tubing, and tin-plated steel sheet. The one shown here depicts a flower form.

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Musée de L'Automate in Souillac, France

The Musée de L'Automate in Souillac, France features a collection that dates from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. The museum's primary focus is on the automata creations of the famous makers Roullet & Decamps.

Here's is a link to the Musee de L'Automate (in French). Here is a link to their videos page -- good in any language!

(Ed:You can learn a lot more about the Roullet et Decamps as well as the other prominent automata makers from France in Automata: The Golden Age 1848-1914.)

[ Thanks Dominique! ]

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Veritas Optical Center Punch - dead-on marking

When drilling into materials -- especially hard ones, like metal -- it's important to create a dimple into which to place the drill bit. This keeps the drill form wandering as you apply pressure. The simple approach is to use an awl or a center punch. But what do you do, when you want to be incredibly accurate? Check out the Veritas Optical Center Punch! It's a specialized tool, to be sure, but one that ensures your holes are just where they need to be.

About the Veritas Optical Center Punch:

After you have carefully marked your spot, place the punch base and optical post over the spot, adjust it until the crosshairs on the 8X magnifying post are exactly on the mark, then replace the post with the A-2 hardened steel punch and tap the punch with a hammer. A high-friction O-ring in the gold-plated brass base keeps it from moving during this exchange, ensuring near-perfect accuracy. It is simplicity itself to use. As an added bonus, you can use the 8-power optical post as an inspection monocular in your shop. It has excellent depth of field and is easily focused freehand.

Here's where you can get the Veritas Optical Center Punch.

Here's a different brand of Optical Center Punch that comes with the two spotting lenses, TWO hardened steel punches (one 60° and one 120°) and a fitted wooden case. Nice! (I found this one in Amazon's Industrial and Scientific section.)

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Quadrotapult - ball throwing device by Brad Litwin

Another incredible kinetic sculpture by Brad Litwin. Like one of his other creations, The Quadrapult, this one throws and catches balls. The added bit of complexity is that this machine also throws the balls through spinning hoops! Truly, a brilliant piece of engineering.

See more kinetic sculptures by Brad Litwin on his web site.

Woodcraft July Anniversary Sale

One of my favorite woodworking stores -- Woodcraft Woodworking Supply -- is having their annual July Anniversary Sale this weekend (Friday, 23rd - Sunday, 25th). They are offering 10% off just about everything. Shown above are just a few of the categories of items on sale. If your are a planning on a large purchase, they are offering financing (see terms on their site). At the very least it is worth signing up to get their extensive free snail mail catalog.

Here's the link to the Woodcraft July Anniversary Sale

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Proxxon Micro Planer - small, precise wood planer

Could you ever call a wood planer "cute"? Well, now you can! Just look at the Proxxon Micro Planer. Despite its diminutive size, this and ANYTHING by Proxxon is a serious tools. This one is designed for fine planing a very smooth finish on both hardwood and softwood surfaces. It's also made for precision -- where a fraction of a millimeter makes difference.

From the mini planer description:

The unit's load bearing components are all made of die-cast aluminum, with milled seats for bearings and spindles, the essentials for vibration-free, smooth and clean planing and guaranteeing maximum stability. The triple spindled table is milled to close tolerances and can be conveniently adjusted to 0.008" by a large zero adjustable hand wheel on top of the housing. The cutter shaft has two HSS reversible cutters for a long service life. Replacement of the cutters is facilitated by a service flap. The planer has an automatic feed unit. The work piece therefore is only pushed by hand into the feed slot for a short distance. A knurled and spring-loaded roller then draws the work piece in, thus enabling even irregularly shaped pieces of wood to be planed. After passing the cutter shaft, the piece of wood is pushed out at the rear by a rubber-coated roller to protect the surface of the work piece.

Here's where you can get the Proxxon Micro Planer.

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Circus Sam The Balancing Man acrobat toy

Circus Sam the Balancing Man is classic toy that has been around since the 1950s. It is still sold by one of my favorite toy companies, Schylling. Sam and his stand measure 8 1/2" high and about 10" wide. The figure can balance on his hat, his toes, his nose, his heels and on one foot or two. Once balanced, a gentle tap will send him spinning.

Here's where you can get Circus Sam The Balancing Man.

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Machine by Brett Dickins plays catch with itself

Check out this motor-driven machine that both throws and catches a ping pong balls. The piece is by Brett Dickins -- an artist specializing in the design and construction of wooden mechanical kinetic sculptures.

See more creative kinetic sculptures by Bret Dickins on his YouTube channel.

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Book: Two Odd Volumes on Magic & Automata

I am pleased to inform you of a great new find entitled Two Odd Volumes on Magic & Automata. This book covers most of my favorite subjects: the magician Jean Eugène Robert-Houdin, history, magic, automata and mechanical toys!

'The Sette of Odd Volumes' was a group of book collectors in Victorian era London. They published transcripts of the after dinner lectures that they presented to each other. Two Odd Volumes on Magic & Automata presents two of these lectures in a single volume.

About the first book on magic and Robert-Houdin:

William Manning was a club member who gave an after dinner talk on his recollections of the great magician Robert-Houdin. When Manning was a young boy he met the great magician and befriended Robert-Houdin's sons. His 'recollections' about Robert-Houdin were later published as a small book. Reading it today, over a hundred years after the speech was originally given, one is still struck by how forward thinking Robert-Houdin was and how down to earth. He developed many famous magic acts that are still performed today. Originally trained as a clockmaker, Robert-Houdin built all his own automata and magic props.

About the second book on automata:

Manning's talk on Robert-Houdin prompted another member, Conrad William Cooke, to undertake a brief survey on the history of automata down through the ages. That talk resulted in the second wonderful book included here.

You can read more about the volume, see some of the illustrations, preview sample pages, and order your own copy on this site dedicated to the book Two Odd Volumes on Magic & Automata.

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The CNC Shark Pro Routing System

CNC Shark Pro Routing System is the big brother to the original CNC Shark. This model offers twice the workable area (X: 24", Y: 24", Z: 4.25") as the base model CNC Shark Routing System. The pro model's increased strength, making it better suited to wider variety of machining, routing, and engraving projects in wood, metal, or plastic. Along with improved power, speed, accuracy, and ease of use, it features a 1" thick removable laminated particleboard work surface, and 12 precision linear bearing guides for maximum rigidity. A 24V supply provides power to the strong 1.8 degree stepper motors. The package includes a free download USB control software. And, for those who own different CNC programs, the Shark Pro can interface with a number of programs in the industry. For a complete CNC system, you simply won’t find a better value than the CNC Shark Pro. The unit require a Bosch Colt Variable-Speed Palm Router Kit for operation. Here's where to get more info on the CNC Shark Pro Routing System

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Book: The Jeweler's Studio Handbook

Looking to improve your metalworking skills? The Jeweler's Studio Handbook walks you through setting up a working space, selecting tools, and how to work with various materials. The reader will learn to master metalworking techniques by completing the twenty illustrated jewelry projects covered in the book. The book also features nice photographs of fine jewelry by many talented artists. It gets very high marks from Amazon reviewers.

Here's where you can look inside and order The Jeweler's Studio Handbook: Traditional and Contemporary Techniques for Working with Metal and Mixed Media Materials.

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Exhibit: Nemo Gould, Jeremy Mayer, Benjamin Cowden

MACHINATIONS is an exhibit currently featuring the works of Nemo Gould, Jeremy Mayer, and Benjamin Cowden.

From the exhibit description:

The exhibition showcases the distinctive elements of re-use transformational sculpture while exploring human interaction and objectification. Keeping in line with the gallery's focus on local and emerging talent, all three artists boast Bay Area roots, but display marked differences in their interpretation of the kinetic medium.

The exhibition's title "Machinations", is a reference to the shifting and subjective definition of what constitutes art. A variety of kinetic based art will be on display—ranging from whimsical creatures and life size sculptures crafted from twisted metal bits to interactive machines.

The exhibit runs from July 14 - August 21, 2010. The artists reception will Thursday, July from 6-9pm.

Here's where you can learn more about the Machinations exhibit.

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DIY Book: Build Your Own CNC Machine

Build Your Own CNC Machine is targeted at hobbyists who like create things in wood and metal (and who doesn't!). If you would you like to fabricate your own custom design parts, here is a book that will show exactly how to construct your own CNC milling machine, show you how to use it, how to create designs in Computer-Aided Design (CAD) programs, and how to output your designs as tool paths that feed into the CNC machine.

Here's where you can see sample pages or order the book Build Your Own CNC Machine.

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Weight-driven clock with a sand escapement

The clock shown here is a sort of endless hourglass. The large weight-driven clock uses the passing of sand through a circular series of connected hourglasses to regulate the passing of time. A very novel concept and and a fine piece or kinetic sculpture!

While a bit more conventional, here is where you can get various sand timers.

[ Thanks Christoph! ]

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Many wooden automata by Helen Sinden

Check out this very nicely made video featuring a great number of wood automata by Helen Sinden. If you like her style, there is contact information at the end of the video!

[ Thanks Christoph! ]

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Three fantastic new pieces by artist Nemo Gould

Here is one of three new pieces by artist Nemo Gould.

From the artist's web site:

The Narwal has always been one of natures more peculiar entities. This one is portrayed as perhaps a little more menacing that they would appear in nature. I think all of the bad news pertaining to the oil spill in the gulf may have "leaked" into my consciousness while making this piece. The waves seem slicked with oil, and the creature itself seems equipped to have made the mess. Maybe it wasn’t our fault after all.

Materials: Radio cabinet, portal window, fresnel lens, hair clipper, guitar tuners, corkscrew, decorative paper, magazine clipping, LEDs, motors, misc metal parts.

Here is where you can see all three new sculptures by Nemo Gould.

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Trick flight maneuvers by a quadrotor helicopter

Check out the amazingly precise flight moves of this four-propeller autonomous helicopter created at the University of Pennsylvania. Autonomous? Really? Wow!

From the video description:

Control of precise aggressive maneuvers with an autonomous quadrotor helicopter. This is a small autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV). Demonstrations of flips, flight through windows, and quadrotor perching are shown. Work done at the GRASP Lab, University of Pennsylvania.

See more cool projects going on at the GRASP Laboratory at the University of Pennsylvania.

[ Thanks Julia! ]

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Dolls in Motion: 1850 - 1915 by Florence Theriault

Here is a book on vintage automata that covers the many types of automata and some of the most prominent makers of the past. The book is no longer in print, but can easily be ordered used.

Automata themes covered include:
•Animal themes
•Clowns
•Dancing Dolls
•Drummers
•Magicians
•Musicians
•Pull toys
•Smoking Dolls
•Walking Dolls

Automata makers covered include:
•Jumeau
•Lambert
•Phalibois
•Renou
•Roullet & Decamps
•Simon & Halbig
•Theroude
•Vichy
•Zinner & Sohne

Here is where you can see inside or order the book Dolls in Motion.

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Arthur Ganson: Machines and the Breath of Time

Here is a film featuring the amazing kinetic sculptor, Arthur Ganson.

From the film description:

Arthur Ganson uses humble materials to create kinetic sculptures of humor, drama, and emotion. His work has been shown around the world, and has been an ongoing inspiration for the 10,000 Year Clock project at Long Now. His machinated gestures play with time spans that range from the epochal to the momentary.

One of the touchstone pieces for the Clock project is the Machine with Concrete. The input of the piece is a 200 revolution per minute motor, and after series of gear reductions it's output gear is cast in concrete. Due to the multiplicative nature of the gear train it will take upwards of two trillion years to break the final gear.

Here is where you can order the film Arthur Ganson: Machines and the Breath of Time.

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'Monkeys on my mind' automaton by Jim Kransberger

Monkeys on my mind is an automaton by Jim Kransberger which takes a look at what was on Charles Darwin's mind (beyond pigeons). Charming!

From the artist's web site:

The hat slowly tips up and is followed by a monkey rising from within, peaking out at the viewer. As the five crank cycle is continued the monkey recedes, then the hat closes back down on Darwin’s head.

See more autoamta by Jim Kransberger on his web site.

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A Clockwork Folly - machine by Edmund Dohnert

I adore the mechanical artwork of Edmund Dohnert. Take a look at this piece titled A Clockwork Folly.

From the artist's web site:

As a heavy copper ball descends through a tower, it causes a horizontal shaft on the right side of the machine to rotate. (The ball's speed is controlled by a pendulum and escapement mechanism, much like that of a grandfather clock. With each beat of the pendulum, the escapement allows the shaft to rotate only one-twelfth of a turn.)

This right-hand shaft then rotates another shaft on the left through a chain belt wrapped around a pulley on each end. (A simple, weighted 'clutch' removes tension on the chain when the ball is being wound up to the raised position.)

As this left-hand shaft rotates, it not only causes various gears to spin a propeller to the beat of the pendulum, it also makes a cam raise and lower an arm, which, through a series of pulleys, causes the clutch's paddle-like appendage to flit back and forth.

There's a good amount of odd mechanical action taking place as the ball descends, a process which takes about 4 minutes to complete.

See more pictures, a drawing, and a video of A Clockwork Folly on Edmund Dohnert's web site.

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Applied Kinetic Arts blog features multiple artists

The Applied Kinetic Arts blog is a great place to check out information and in-process works by a number of talented kinetic artists.

They explain the site well so, I'll just let them:

Applied Kinetic Arts (A.K.A.) is a community of artists working within the medium loosely defined as “kinetic”. Works incorporating motion, light, sound, and interactivity are represented by the group’s ever expanding member base. A.K.A. was founded in 2007 by artists Christopher T. Palmer and Nemo Gould with the intention of raising public awareness of this art form and providing a support network for its members, and others working within the genre. On this website you will find RSS streams from some of our members own blogs which will provide a peek into the studios and processes behind this unique approach to art making. Check the members section to learn about our contributors, see examples of their finished work, and find links to their personal sites.

If you like the stuff you find on this blog, then you are sure to like the Applied Kinetic Arts blog. Trust me.

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Rob Ives's updated paper engineering web site

The clever paper engineer Rob Ives has has completely updated his web site. If you've never been to his site or built one of his ingenious models this is a great time to do so!

For great information on mechanisms, kits, models, downloads, and tips on paper engineering visit http://www.robives.com/.

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'Long Road Ahead' kinetic figurative piece

Long Road Ahead was the first kinetic figurative piece created by Andrew Smith. It runs off of two separate gear motors: one which drives the wheels and the man on the bike, and the other which rotates the front wheel. It's a large piece at 8 feet long and 5 1/2 feet tall.

See more cool sculptures by Andrew Smith on his web site.

[ Thanks Christoph! ]

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'A busy day at number 12 West St' automaton

Take a look at this fantstic new automaton by Fi Henshall!

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"A Balance (with Snake)" by Jim Jenkins

Check out this lively new sculpture by Jim Jenkins! A rubber snake is motorized to bounce up and down setting a counterbalanced house into motion.

See more kinetic art by Jim Jenkins on his web site.

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Roboni-i programmable gaming robot system

Roboni-i is a programmable gaming robot system that comes with a base station, energy port, special effects hub, and three universal gaming pads. You can play one of seven included games or modify parts using a Windows PC (XP or Vista) and the included software. This looks like a pretty sophisticated toy!

From the robot description:

Depending upon the game you select (or modify using the software) each accessory serves a unique purpose: the base station can act as a depot, timer, or target; the energy port ejects a ball (which is corralled by the robot's built-in scoop) and recharges the robot; and the special effects hub provides robots with advanced maneuvers and abilities. The robot has infrared sensors and radio frequency identification chips that allow the robot to react to the game's accessories and other competing robots, helping it to avoid obstacles, navigate autonomously, and participate in any of the six included games. The games involve the robot picking up different colors by driving over encoded pads and delivering them to the hub before time expires, collecting a ball while avoiding "bullets," dropping electronic "land mines" to obstruct competing robots, and more.

Here's where you can get the The Roboni-i programmable gaming robot.

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Robotic Flutophone - robot controlled music

Created by the Carnegie Mellon Robotics Club, the Flutophone is an ongoing project to create a robotic recorder-like instrument. Servos never sounded so good!

Here is where you can learn more about The Flutophone Project. Here are some additional technical details of the Flutophone.

[ Thanks Bob! ]

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